Reasons vary from real estate transactions to divorce to estate planning to contract issues and so on. And of course, some of us have criminal matters to deal with too.
For many Americans, finding and paying for an attorney is pretty easy. Not fun. But doable.
Getting and paying for legal help isn’t so easy for low-to-middle income Americans, who often wrongly assume they can’t afford a lawyer, or that they can handle legal issues on their own.
Right now in America, low-to-moderate income people are standing on one side of the justice gap — the space between people who need legal help and the lawyers who can meet those needs — while attorneys are twiddling their thumbs on the other.
In more than 75 percent of all civil trial cases in the United States, at least one litigant does not have an attorney representing them.
LawChamps’ goal is to shorten and seal that gap.
How the traditional method of finding a lawyer fuels inequality
According to a recent study, the majority of people look for lawyers the old-fashioned way: They ask friends and family members if they know anyone.
This method may work for many, but it doesn’t work out so well in low-income communities.
People can’t recommend affordable attorneys, because they don’t know any, or there simply aren’t enough affordable lawyers nearby.
Studies show that only 1 in 5 people with low-income backgrounds seek advice from a legal professional.
Without advice from a lawyer, people usually try to solve their legal problems on their own with the assistance of:
- free or inexpensive DIY legal websites
- free legal aid services.
Neither of these options works out well.
The problem with trying to solve your own legal problems
Researchers at Harvard Law School found that when individuals use self-help resources rather than professional legal help, their outcome is usually pretty bad.
In a study of low-income divorce-seekers who used self-help resources, such as online materials, to develop their case, only 5 percent managed to end their marriages successfully.
Another study found that when tenants on the verge of eviction represent themselves in court, they are evicted in over 50 percent of cases.
With a lawyer, they win 90 percent of the time.
The problem with free legal aid
There are good-hearted lawyers out there who donate their services for free through legal aid groups.
But these resources, although very necessary, are limited in capacity.
The demand for legal aid far outweighs the resources available.
While LawChamps doesn’t offer free legal help, we do match people with lawyers who offer extremely affordable legal help.
This article is intended to convey generally useful information only and does not constitute legal advice. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author, not LawChamps.
"Before, I spent thousands of dollars on lawyer referral services, but [LawChamps] is more affordable."
Beilal Chatila California
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"It gives me the opportunity to help clients who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to [find] an attorney."
Mia Perez Arroyo, California
"It allows me to expand my practice and allows me to instantly connect with my clients. It's a great system."
Anthony Murphy, Florida
"User friendly for both me and my clients... They have helped me find clients on a consistent basis."
Chelsi R Hall, Texas
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